chapter 3 television this multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. the...
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Chapter 3 Television
This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law:
• Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network;• Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images;
• Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.
Since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 was signed into law, the electronic media landscape has changed noticeably.
- Kaye & Medoff, p. 57
www.ablongman.com/medoffkaye1e Copyright © 2005 by Allyn & Bacon
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See It Then – Early Experiments
Electrical SystemsVladimir Zworykin & RCA – 1923Philo Farnsworth designed system – 1922 (while still in High School)
NTSC set standards for TV – 1941Growth of TV halted by WWIIEssentially same technology as today (except HD)
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Television’s Halting Launch
After WWII growth was slow Expensive to build stations Audience was very small Applications for licenses were high
Licensing new stations frozen 1948 Added UHF channels 14-83 to existing VHF channels (2-13)
New fights over color system CBS system required new TV RCA system viewable in black & white
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Networks Continue
Radio profits and programming gave CBS & NBC a head start ABC (formerly NBC Blue) and DuMont fought to be third network
Network affiliation almost mandatory for survival at first Networks had leverage to dictate terms
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TelevisionProduction History
Compared to radio Early TV cameras large, not mobile
Cameras more costly than audio technology
Shows live in studio, films of TV sets (kinescope)
No Video Tape until 1956
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TV’s Golden Age & Problems
Television versions of radio programs were also far more costly to make becauseactors had to memorize their lines for TV. Radio required only that actors read.
TV rehearsals required the presence of all the actors, crew, set, & props required for the show.
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TV’s Golden Age & Problems
Quiz Show Scandal of mid-1950sRigged contests became illegal
Lost public confidence Blacklisting
Communist “sympathizers” excluded
Used as political tool for power through rhetoric of fear
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TV Programs in the 1950s and 60s
Radio shows added pictures
Anthologies –serious theater
Variety shows The Ed Sullivan Show
The Carol Burnett Show
Game and Quiz Shows Fixing scandal ended genre for 40 years
Comedy I Love Lucy
News
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TV Programs - 1960s & 1970s
Children’s shows Kukla, Fran, & Ollie The Howdy-Doody Show
Captain Kangaroo Sports
Movies & Miniseries Movies re-released to TV
Made-for-TV movies
Multi-part programs
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TV Programming1950s thru 1960s
Least Common Denominator (LCD) programming
Truly MASS audience (3 national networks, 1-2 independent stations)
Most writing to grade school level Entertainment - wholesome, centrist, non-confrontational, non-controversial
Conservative Codes of content
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TV ProgrammingLate 1960s and beyond
Still a mass audience & 3 nets Social change crescendo - Vietnam war, acid-rock, sexual revolution
Changes mirrored on TV (somewhat) Laugh-in (1968) - post-modern sketch comedy: hippy culture, jumpy, fast, 1-liners, news parody, slapstick
Smothers Brothers 1967-69 - sex, drugs, rock & roll, politics (Nixon black list led to cancellation; heavy censorship)
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TV ProgrammingLate 1960s and beyond
Subversion of conservative shows - Ed Sullivan Show - Elvis, Beatles The Who, Stones
Increased diversity in programming - though white dominated.
More African American sitcoms, dramas, though many still stereotypical
Question status quo, confrontational - All in the Family (Archie Bunker), Maude, SNL
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Educational / Public Television
Initially National Educational Television Network – ineffective
Corporation for Public Broadcasting & PBS Standardized Program Schedules Not Just Education Non-Commercial
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Competition Challenges Networks
Technology increased competition Cable delivery of new networks VCRs provided viewing options
1990s - New broadcast networks emerge Fox (1986) WB(1995), UPN(1995), Pax (1998) UPN+WB=CW 2006
Cable networks grow their audience
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TV Programs - 1990s-present
Influence of cable TV on broadcasters - Harsher language Pushing limits of taste, sex, violence
Copy-cat programming - copy successful formats/genres
Number of channels yields many narrow genres Narrowcasting - specialized programs intended for narrow audiences
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See it Now – TV Genres
Narrative Programs Dramas Serials (“Soaps”) Sitcoms
Non-Narrative Programs Game shows Talk Shows Public Affairs News
Movies & Miniseries
Non-Commercial TV Children’s shows, like Sesame Street
Documentaries, like Frontline
British Comedies Reality-based
Blended, reality-based, non-scripted
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Television Program Production
Program Life Cycle Treatment - Pitch - Pilot - Program
Producers Production companies Networks Some independent producers
Syndication Off-Network First-Run
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Economics of TV Programming
Advertiser- Supported Broadcasting Production companies finance program creation
Networks buy rights to air program but at less than production cost
Networks pay their affiliate stations to air programs
Stations pay for syndicated shows
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Economics of TV Programming
Non-Commercial Broadcasting PBS stations pay network for programs Collect donations Grants from foundations
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New Technology Again
Direct Broadcast Satellite – mid ’90s
HDTV – Government mandate Little audience Heavy expense
SDTV - same old quality More channels for broadcasters More revenue streams? More local content?
Digital transmissions by 2006
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Consolidation of Ownership
Fewer Companies Own More Stations Less localism likely More formulaic programming Fewer different “voices” heard
Cross-ownership: One firm’s ownership of a daily newspaper & at least one broadcast station in the same market.
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Oligopoly: Control of an industry by a few firms.
The broadcast TV network industry has always been an oligopoly.
From the ‘50s & until 1996, radio station ownership had been spread among many firms.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 triggered consolidation in radio ownership.
Group ownership of U. S. radio stations is consolidating.
Consolidation in Broadcasting
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Apparent diversity - many channels, many programs
Generally the same messages geared at different, narrower audiences?
While “diverse programs” exist (fishing, sewing, home repair), does diversity of opinion exist?
Conservative/liberal; minority (Hispanic, African American); corporate/independent?
Consolidation in Broadcasting
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Technological Challenges Ahead
Competition with computer time on cross-platform monitors
TV series available on DVD Digital recorders
May cut down on advertising revenue Audience becomes the programmer
TV incorporating new technology into audience activity Respond on Internet, text messaging, Internet chat rooms, etc.
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TV Station Organization
• Management/sales• General Manager oversees station on strategic level
• Director of Engineering/Operations Manager - manages facility
• Sales Manager• Traffic Manager - schedules programs & ads
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TV Station Organization
News Director - oversees news operation
Executive producers - day-to-day news manager
Producers - coordinates a newscast
Assignment editors, reporters, photogs, anchors, sports & weathercasters, (writers, editors)
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TV Station Organization
Production Director (Program Development Manager [book])
Directors, technical directors, camera operators, graphics, editors
Create news and non-news programming, staff the studio portion of the news, create commercials
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Jobs/Careers
Internships, experience = 1st job
Little concern for GPA Work ethic, willingness to learn and work hard
Persistence Low pay to start “grad school” metaphor
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Deregulation will permit firms to own more stations
& cable franchises.
Audiences will be encouraged to participate in broadcasts through email & the Internet.
Expanded bandwidth will permit firms to distribute
several programs at the same time.
Cable companies will try to become one-stop“shops,” supplying all wired communication technologies to homes & offices.
Consolidation in Broadcasting & Other Video Systems
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A Wired Newsroom
Source: Based on drawing from www.eznews.com/tour/tech.php
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TV ProductionNow & Future
Cameras & other equipment will be smaller, more lightweight & eventually less costly.
Digitization will permit faster & more precise
editing & multiple uses of audio & video recordings.
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You Can be a TV Producer
Desktop production Computers enable video editing Teenagers are making their own videos
TV competes with home video for attention
Can home video compete? Cost of equipment declining Digital environment may offer outlet for consumer videos
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The Value of TelevisionVast Wasteland? Low Culture Crass Humor Anti-Intellectual Promotes Violence Time waster Purely commercial, consumption oriented
Promotes “shallow” values Not “democratic”, large corps. Newton Minnow, chair of FCC in 1964
Later “recanted” “Half vast wasteland”